


The Epidemic Aftermath

by sammi_blue



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Disabled Character, actually several disabled characters, also clans that have their own distinct culture, that aren't immediately put in the elders den or made reluctant medicine cats
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-02-19 16:53:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22934764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sammi_blue/pseuds/sammi_blue
Summary: [I swear I came up with this idea before 2020 became a dumpster fire]The five clans are trying to pick up the pieces of their society after an illness ravages the lake. Clinging to any possible sign of their ancestors' guidance, many turn on their clanmates who were born "different".These different cats, one from each clan, struggle not only to overcome their disabilities, but also their desperate clanmates who believe they are punishments and bad omens from Starclan.
Kudos: 14





	1. Allegiances: Pre-Outbreak

**_Thunderclan_ **

**Leader:** Goldenstar: yellow tabby tom with brown eyes

**Deputy:** Gingerjaw: ginger she-cat

**Medicine cat:** Smallwind: grey tabby tom

Rockpaw: grey speckled tom

**Warriors:**

Wolfdawn: white and grey tom

Addernight: brown and black she-cat

Moosebranch: large, dark brown tom

Foxstride: red tom with amber eyes

Batclaw: black tom with green eyes

Marigoldfire: orange she-cat with green eyes

Pigeonpelt: grey tom with brown eyes

Magpietail: black and white she-cat

Hazelbreeze: light brown she-cat with brown eyes

**Apprentices:**

Dogpaw: brown and white tabby tom with green eyes (mentor: Addernight)

Boarpaw: dark brown tom with a snaggletooth (mentor: Moosebranch)

Blackpaw: black and white she-cat with floppy ears and short, deformed limbs (mentor: Batclaw)

**Queens & kits:**

Aspenbrook: dark orange she-cat (kits: Fruitkit & Swiftkit)

Mistletalon: brown she-cat

**Elders:**

Snailpuddle: light brown tom

Fawnwhisper: white and brown she-cat

* * *

**_Shadowclan_ **

**Leader:** Cloudstar: white and orange tom

**Deputy:** Parselytail: light grey she-cat

**Medicine cat:** Pikewhisker: brown tabby tom

Applepaw: dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

**Warriors:**

Owlnose: white and light brown she-cat with amber eyes

Rapidflight: cream-colored she-cat with bright blue eyes

Mistyhoof: grey striped tom with golden eyes

Featherswirl: light grey tabby tom

Mottlepatch: tortoiseshell she-cat

Oceanspark: red tabby tom with green eyes

Plumdust: light gray she-cat

**Apprentices:**

Molepaw: dark brown tom (mentor: Oceanspark)

Nettlepaw: tortoiseshell she-cat (mentor: Owlnose)

Storkpaw: white tom (mentor: Mottlepatch)

**Queens & kits:**

Lizardnose: tortoiseshell she-cat (kits: Brightkit, Nutkit, & Sunnykit)

Fogpelt: light grey she-cat (kits: Nectarkit & Spottedkit)

**Elders:**

Hayspeck: light yellow tom

Shadetail: black she-cat

* * *

**_Skyclan_ **

**Leader:** Icestar: silver tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Robinsong: red she-cat

**Medicine cat:** Peardawn: cream-colored she-cat

Newtsplash: tortoiseshell tom

**Warriors:**

Morninglight: calico she-cat

Frogskip: brown tabby tom

Stagflight: light brown tom

Littlevine: calico she-cat

Duckpatch: brown and white tabby tom

Specklespiral: red speckled she-cat

Clovershade: grey and black she-cat

Spruceblossom: light brown tabby she-cat

Antfrost: dark brown tabby tom

Bumbleslip: grey tom

**Apprentices:**

Spiderpaw: black tom (mentor: Clovershade)

Shrewpaw: brown tom (mentor: Stagflight)

**Queens:**

Waspspark: yellow she-cat (kits: Sagekit, Thymekit, & Rosemarykit)

Tawnytail: tortoiseshell she-cat

**Elders:**

Flintshine: grey she-cat

Tatterednose: black tom

* * *

**_Windclan_ **

**Leader:** Daisystar: yellow she-cat

**Deputy:** Elmflight: brown and white she-cat

**Medicine cat:** Muddyfern: white tom with brown legs

Moonfang: grey and white she-cat

**Warriors:**

Gorsestorm: dark grey tom

Ebonystone: black she-cat with blue eyes

Weaselleap: brown tom

Doveswoop: grey she-cat

Rabbitflank: brown and white tom

Sheepflurry: grey and white she-cat

Quailjaw: white and brown tabby she-cat

Honeywhisker: yellow tabby tom

Beetlestem: black tom with green eyes

Buzzardstorm: black tom with amber eyes

Eelsting: grey and orange-mottled she-cat

**Apprentices:**

Beanpaw: brown tabby tom. Born without eyes. (mentor:Gorsestorm)

Splashpaw: ginger she-cat (mentor: Doveswoop)

**Queens & Kits:**

Driftwillow: grey she-cat (kits: Troutkit & Lakekit)

**Elders:**

Shrewburr: light brown tom

* * *

**_Riverclan_ **

**Leader:** Creekstar: small, light brown tom

**Deputy:** Redflower: orange tom

**Medicine cat:** Toadleap: dark brown tom

Barracudapaw: silver tabby she-cat

**Warriors:**

Leopardleap: orange she-cat

Thistletuft: cream-colored tom

Mothshadow: golden tabby she-cat

Oakshine: light brown tabby tom

Willowstep: grey tabby she-cat

Pineswallow: dark brown tabby tom

Maplebelly: calico she-cat

Flaxspots: brown she-cat with orange spots

Chestnutfoot: black tom with white feet

Beavereye: dark brown tom

Ferretwind: white tom with light brown patches

**Apprentices:**

Juniperpaw: grey she-cat (mentor: Mothshadow)

Rubblepaw: grey and white spotted tom (mentor: Pineswallow)

**Queens & Kits:**

Quietsnow: white she-cat with grey patches (kits: Dewkit, Copperkit, & Echokit)

**Elders:**

Beartail: black tom with a stump tail

Petalflower: white and black she-cat


	2. Patient Zero

**Greenleaf: Day 0**

A rogue crawled into the horse-place, weak, looking for shelter from the hot sun. He was badly dehydrated. Wherever he put his paws, he left behind the illness that plagued him.

He wasn’t thinking about the cats that lived nearby— he knew of them vaguely, heard stories about the proud but dramatic cult that laid down their law across the lake— and he certainly wasn’t thinking about how he would be spreading his sickness to them. Though, he might not have cared even if he did have the strength to remember.

The rogue died next to the horse-place less than a day later, where he tried to take shelter under the wooden post of the fencing. As his body began to decompose, as the disease continued to multiply throughout his festering body, a rainstorm began to roll in towards the lake. The drops splattered over his body, over the spaces he walked. The runoff began to trickle down the hills of the horse-place, down towards the lake.

The sickness reached the clans.


	3. Blackpaw: 1 Moon After Exposure

**Greenleaf: Thunderclan**

“Blackpaw, your mentor will be Batclaw. I hope he can welcome you into our clan and teach you our ways.”

Blackpaw’s eyes darted around, looking for Batclaw. Her pelt burned with embarrassment at the realization that she couldn’t recognize her new mentor! But then a fluffy black tom stepped forward to touch noses with her, and she felt relieved— he was a friendly face, who had seemed excited from the start to accept her into the clan.

The Thunderclan cats chanted her name. It felt strange, having a second apprentice ceremony— she hoped it’d be her last.

 _I wonder how Beanpaw is doing back in Windclan_ , she wondered.

Blackpaw had been born in Windclan, and Beanpaw Thunderclan, but the two clans had decided to trade them. Beanpaw had been born without eyes, and had a hard time getting around the forest; Blackpaw had been born with very short legs, making it impossible for her to run after prey on the moor. Beanpaw would have a much easier time navigating the plain hills, and Blackpaw was already showing promise at chasing small prey under bushes and brambles.

There was a part of her that missed her birth clan— but there was another part of her that was excited to be in a new clan with a second chance. She tried so hard to be a good warrior of Windclan, but her legs were… Different. It wasn’t just that she was shorter than her tall and skinny clanmates, her legs were too small even for her own body. Although her short stature was good for being hidden in tall grass, it didn’t help her at all when chasing prey down. Thunderclan utilized stealth more than speed, and she was already catching onto their hunting methods during her preliminary visit to the clan a few days ago.

“I’m really excited to be your mentor!” Batclaw told her warmly.

“I’m excited too,” Blackpaw replied, her pelt getting hot once more. Her Windclan mentor had been frustrated by her inability to hunt and fight the way a normal apprentice should be able to— Blackpaw hoped that Batclaw wouldn’t start feeling the same.

“Do you think you’re up to a tour around the territory?”

“Yeah, that would be great!”

Batclaw dipped his head. “Perfect! I’ll go see if any other cat wants to join us— meet me by the camp entrance in a few minutes?”

“Sounds good.”

Batclaw trotted off to talk to his clanmates, leaving Blackpaw by herself. She looked at the clan, which had already started to disperse from the ceremony. Some of the cats cast strange glances in her direction, whispering among themselves. Her new mentor was kind, and nobody else had treated her poorly so far, but she knew it would take a long time for them to truly consider her part of their clan. She wondered if they missed Beanpaw, or if they had treated them the same way.

“Hey, why are you so small?”

She turned and saw a young cat— a kit, maybe four moons old— studying her. They were almost the same size.

Not having the boldness to come up with a snarky reply, she glanced away awkwardly and said, “I don’t know, I was just born like this.”

The kitten came closer to her and batted one of her tiny paws with his own. “Ha! My paws are bigger than yours, and I’m not even an apprentice yet!”

“Yeah,” she replied, shifting her paws uncomfortably, trying to not let any irritation show in her voice, “I can see that.”

A queen padded from the nursery over to Blackpaw and the kit. “Fruitkit,” she scolded, “don’t harass the new apprentice.”

“But look!” he exclaimed, “Her legs look like they belong on a newborn kit!”

“Well, yes,” the queen purred with amusement, “but she already knows that. Run along, let her start her apprentice duties already.”

Fruitkit bounded away to go play with the other kits, and the queen chuckled.

“You know how kits are,” she said to Blackpaw, “they’re curious about everything!”

“Yes.” was all Blackpaw felt she could say. Though her heart ached to stand up for herself a little more, she didn’t want to start trouble with any of her new clanmates.

“And you look like a kit yourself!” the queen purred with amusement, “I can hardly blame them for thinking you ought to be playing with them!”

 _They’re never going to take me seriously as a warrior, are they?_ Blackpaw wondered with dread.

“Hey, Blackpaw!”

She turned to see Batclaw and a handful of other cats waiting by the camp entrance.

“Coming!” she called back, relieved to have an excuse to leave the queen and Fruitkit behind. She nodded to the queen and muttered a quick “nice talking to you” before heading over to meet her mentor.

She wanted to run, to keep them waiting less, but she knew if she did that every cat in sight would notice how funny she looked. It was bad enough that they were probably already talking about her behind her back— she didn’t need to give them an excuse to laugh at her too! Instead she trotted, trying to pick up her paws as high as possible so that she wouldn’t seem so stubby. She had practiced this trot all the time back in Windclan, though it hardly made a difference considering everybody already knew she was short.

But Batclaw and the rest of the group was waiting for her patiently, and if they noticed her walking strangely they didn’t comment on it. As they got deeper into the forest, they started to chat— Blackpaw had to be reminded that the cats that came along were Dogpaw and Boarpaw, along with their mentors Addernight and Moosebranch.

“What’s it like in Windclan?” Dogpaw asked.

“Oh, uh, it’s alright,” she replied hesitantly. She didn’t want to talk too highly of her birth clan and give any cat an excuse to think she didn’t like her new home! “But there’s no trees to break the wind, or provide shade from the sun, like there is here.”

“I heard you Windclan cats only eat rabbits,” Boarpaw claimed.

“Yeah!” Dogpaw chimed in, “Is that why they wanted to trade you? Because you couldn’t catch any rabbits?”

Blackpaw tried to hide her face behind her folded ears. Why couldn’t she go for half a day without some cat pointing out she looked different?

“That’s enough, you two,” Batclaw scolded, “We’re trying to welcome Blackpaw, not interrogate her.”

“Hey, you can’t blame them for having questions,” Moosebranch told him, “It’s not everyday we get a from another clan, and certainly not one with—” he glanced at Blackpaw “—well, you know, her _condition_.”

The warrior’s comment was even more embarrassing than the apprentices and their nosy questions!

Batclaw gave a _hmph_ as his only response, glancing at Blackpaw apologetically. She was grateful that he tried to stand up for her, even if he didn’t want to start an argument on her behalf.

They were reaching the Windclan border. The way her new clanmates were treating her made her miss Windclan a little— they didn’t treat her with much more respect, but at least they didn’t ask her so many questions all the time!

“I’m sure you know this area well,” Batclaw explained, “but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at things from this side of the border.”

Blackpaw did feel a little strange, looking at her birthplace from the outside. She spotted one of her old clanmates on the other side, a few fox-lengths away. It was Honeywhisker, out hunting by the looks of the small pile of fresh-kill near his paws.

“Hi Blackpaw!” he called out, trotting a little closer to the border. “Adjusting to your new clan well?”

Blackpaw glanced at the other cats in her patrol; she wanted to speak to her old clanmate, but not at the cost of her image. But Batclaw was giving her a warm look, so she felt comfortable enough to reply: “It’s going great!”

“How’s Beanpaw doing?” Dogpaw asked.

“Has he fallen on his face yet?” Boarpaw added with a sneer.

As Honeywhisker chuckled at their questions, Blackpaw noticed that the light orange tom seemed tired, somehow. His eyes drooped a little, and his tail wasn’t held as high as it normally was.

“Beanpaw is doing really well so far,” Honeywhisker reported, “No falls as of yet!” He shifted his weight around a little bit, as if he was physically uncomfortable.

“Are you feeling okay?” Blackpaw blurted out. She didn’t know why she had such a strong urge to ask him— was it because she missed her birth clan? Did she think there was something very wrong with him? She was certainly no medicine cat— though she had been offered the position once or twice when she still lived in her birth clan.

“I’m fine!” Honeywhisker replied with a purr, “Just woke up on the wrong side of the nest this morning, I think.”

“Alright, alright, that’s enough,” Addernight snapped impatiently, stepping in between the two to interrupt their conversation, “This patrol wasn’t an excuse for you to hang out with your old Windclan buddies.”

“You’re a member of Thunderclan now,” Moosebranch added, “You need to start acting like it.”

Embarrassed and ashamed by the sudden scolding, Blackpaw looked to her mentor to see if he would stand up for her. All she did was ask if Honeywhisker was feeling alright! And Boarpaw and Dogpaw weren’t getting scolded by asking about Beanpaw!

If Batclaw was on her side, he chose not to make it obvious. “We should get going,” he said evenly, “We’ve still got a lot of territory to cover.” He looked across the border to the Windclan cat. “Good luck on your hunting,” he said with a nod of his head.

“Thanks,” Honeywhisker said with an awkward twitch of his tail. He looked embarrassed on Blackpaw’s behalf as he gathered his prey and trotted off.

Blackpaw’s ears burned for the rest of the tour. She tried to take note of all the important places the warriors pointed out, but she felt like she couldn’t look at any of her new clanmates in the eye. A part of her was angry— she didn’t do anything that required scolding! Why should she be punished for showing concern for another cat?

But another part of her was scolding herself. She should’ve known better than to be friendly with her ex-clanmate. Her new clanmates already thought she was weird and useless with her stumpy legs— she didn’t need them to think she was still loyal to Windclan!

 _I just need to forget about Windclan,_ she told herself sternly, _I don’t care about any of them anymore._

Still, that conversation at the border left a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She hoped Honeywhisker would be okay.


	4. Beanpaw: 1.1 Moons After Exposure

**Greenleaf: Windclan: Three days later**

“Honeywhisker is dead!”

Beanpaw startled awake by the sudden cry. Shaking his pelt, he stumbled out of the apprentice’s den and out into the camp. Cats were emerging from the other dens, murmuring their confusion and concern. He could hear wailing from the medicine cat’s den.

“My son is dead!” the voice wailed again.

Beanpaw recognized it as Plumthroat, a senior warrior. She had been very close with Honeywhisker even into his adulthood, as he was her only kit.

_And now he’s gone._

Honeywhisker was just on a hunting patrol a few days ago, worn out but successful. Beanpaw had eaten the shrew he caught. It was strange to think that he had benefited from the last thing the tom had ever provided for the clan.

The medicine cat apprentice, Moonfang, was trying to comfort Plumthroat. Beanpaw wasn’t sure where Muddyfern, the medicine cat, was— he couldn’t hear his presence, at least.

“He’s dead?” a voice whispered in shock.

It was Eelsting, a young warrior.

“He seemed just fine a few days ago,” Beanpaw replied, an equal amount of shock leaking into his voice.

Moonfang was speaking to Plumthroat softly. Straining to hear across the increasing mutters of the rest of the clan, Beanpaw eavesdropped on the conversation.

“—can’t risk it,” Moonfang’s voice was soft and apologetic, “It has to be taken away _now_.”

“Don’t refer to my son as an _it_!” Plumthroat hissed, “And he deserves to be mourned, not tossed away without another thought like some cat’s dirt!”

“That’s not what I’m saying and you know that!” Moonfang snapped, “Muddyfern is sick now too, we can’t have Honeywhisker’s body laying around for every cat to touch! They’ll get sick too!”

“What’s going on?” Another voice interrupted the conversation. It was Elmflight, the deputy— she must have rushed over to the medicine den as soon as she heard the news.

“Honeywhisker was sick with something we’ve never seen before,” Moonfang explained, starting to sound desperate and helpless, “Muddyfern has come down with it too. I— I thought it was just a small infection. He was fine.”

Feeling stressed, Beanpaw had to stop concentrating on their conversation. If Honeywhisker was sick with something bad, did that mean the whole clan was going to get sick as well? He hadn’t lived in Windclan very long, and he wasn’t sure how they acted in a crisis.

 _There’s no crisis,_ he tried to tell himself, _it’s just a sick cat who died. It hurts, but it happens._

Although, Moonfang had said that Muddyfern wasn’t feeling well either.

What was going to happen if things became bad? Would he go back to Thunderclan? The clan was speaking at full volume by now, though his thoughts were drowning that noise out.

 _And be stuck in the elder’s den for the rest of my life?_ He thought, _I’d almost rather be sick!_

Life in Windclan was going well, up until Honeywhisker’s death. Most of his clanmates were patient and didn’t treat him differently because of his eyes— or, rather, lack thereof. His mentor, Rabbitflank, was kind and always made sure to listen to what Beanpaw needed if a training session wasn’t going well. He was certainly much more receptive to Beanpaw’s needs than his old mentor back in Thunderclan. And the uniform, rolling hills treated him much better than Thunderclan’s complicated territory— he felt like a prisoner there, as though the trees and the bushes and the logs were trapping him.

He was still adjusting to his new clan, and they were far from perfect, but he felt much happier here. He wanted to stay, even if things became tough. Though he doubted it would— it was just one death. Although it was sudden and tragic, there was no need for alarm.

He could hear Honeywhisker’s body being dragged out of camp, and Plumthroat’s wail of despair at the sight.

Surely, there was no need for alarm.


	5. Shiverkit: 3 Moons After Exposure

**Leaf-fall: Shadowclan**

Mistyhoof sat outside the nursery, feeling as though he was guarding it. Against what, he had no idea— the coughs coming from the medicine cat den were a reminder that he could not guard queens and kits against illness.

A voice called his name softly, and he craned his neck to look over his shoulder and into the nursery. Rapidflight wasn't very visible, given how little light the quarter moon gave, but Mistyhoof could see her eyes shining at him.

"Yes?" He responded quietly, sticking his head into the entrance, hesitating to fully enter the den.

"Come take a look at him."

Her voice sounded concerned, somehow. Mistyhoof wriggled into the den and tried to focus his vision on their kit, fear climbing in his throat. Shiverkit was the only kit of their litter, and his constant shivering had concerned Pikewhisker, the medicine cat. But once he fell asleep, the shivering had stopped and Pikewhisker was confident that he would be perfectly fine. Mistyhoof leaned down and gave the kit a sniff— he was breathing and didn't smell ill, thank Starclan.

"I think there's something wrong with him," Rapidflight told him, her tail stroking the kit's spine.

"Why?"

Rapidflight grabbed the kit by the scruff and placed him closer to Mistyhoof's paws. The kit squeaked, surprised by the sudden lack of warmth of his mother's belly, and began to search for her again. But as he moved, he was trembling once more, his body swaying dramatically.

"I think this is just how he moves."

Mistyhoof touched his nose to the kit's side— he didn't seem cold, as every cat initially thought when they first saw him trembling.

Not knowing what to make of it, Mistyhoof asked, “Do you think he’s sick?”

Rapidflight shook her head. “He hasn’t got a fever, and he’s got a normal amount of energy. Besides, Pikewhisker said he seemed perfectly normal otherwise.”

Mistyhoof watched Shiverkit flail for a few more seconds before drawing the kit in closer to his body, wanting to look at him closer. His body was little, and fragile, but none of the bones looked broken. As the kit mewled and tried to knead at Misthoof’s chest, Mistyhoof noted that he looked perfectly normal— not that he was a medicine cat, or even an experienced father for that matter, but he had gotten to poke his head into the nursery briefly a few times in the past to look at other queens’ kits. Shiverkit looked just like them, no doubt about it.

_ He looks better than them, if anything _ . Mistyhoof thought to himself smugly. His kit was small, but he could tell he had a strong will. What did a little bit of wobbling matter, as long as he was otherwise healthy?

“Do you think he’ll grow out of it?” he asked.

“I hope so. He was having a hard time nursing.”

“We’ll find a way to help him.” Mistyhoof hadn’t planned to be very active in the kit’s life— he would’ve loved it regardless, but hanging around the nursery wasn’t a lifestyle that appealed to him. But realizing Shiverkit had some kind of strange condition gave him a newfound drive.

“Yes, we will. I just worry… About the illness that’s been going around. He might not be strong enough to fight it off.”

Mistyhoof turned his head slightly towards the outside of the den, where there were sick cats just a few fox-lengths away. So many of them became sick in such a short period of time. “We’ll make sure he doesn’t get it, then.” He gave the kit a few licks down his spine, trying to push the fear out of his mind.

"What if he can't walk properly? If he can't hunt or fight?"

"Then we'll make sure he's fed and protected. And so will the rest of the clan."

Sensing Mistyhoof's resolve, Rapidflight nodded before laying her head down. “Stay in here with me?”

“Sure. I’ll watch over him, get some sleep.”

As Rapidflight drifted off to sleep, Mistyhoof couldn’t help but glance from the kit to the medicine den, where the sounds and smells of illness creeping out into the rest of camp.


	6. Blackpaw: 4 Moons after exposure

**Leaf-bare: Thunderclan**

Blackpaw shivered against the icy wind and hoped that Beanpaw would already be waiting for her at the border. All the older cats were saying that leaf-bare was coming early this year— dread had settled into Blackpaw’s heart when she heard them say so. The clans had already lost so much up until this point, they didn’t need another problem on top of everything else.

As Blackpaw neared the Windclan border, she spotted Beanpaw huddled near a tree for shelter. His eyeless face was directed towards her side of the border, ears rotating slowly. Though she had stayed as quiet as possible on her journey, he immediately stood up and walked closer to the border as if he knew she was there.

“It’s about time you showed up!” he said with a huff.

It was meant as a joke, but Blackpaw knew he was anxious. So was she.

“How’d you know it was me?” she asked, “I didn’t say anything, and the wind is blowing towards the lake so I know you didn’t smell me!”

“You’ve got a weird walking pattern,” he said bluntly, “I could hear it before you even came out of the trees.”

“Fair enough,” she muttered embarrassingly.

They sat there for a moment. Neither of them wanted to speak. If they continued to speak, they would have to say what neither of them wanted to hear.

But after a few seconds of listening to the wind howl, Beanpaw decided to break the silence. “Who’s died?”

Blackpaw hesitated. She didn’t expect to have to list off his dead clanmates so suddenly. “I— well— I mean, there has been a few, but—”

“Just tell me, Blackpaw. I want to get it over with.”

She gulped. “Moosebranch and Swiftkit. Fruitkit is sick and so are the queens.”

Beanpaw was silent. He turned his face towards the lake; it was like he was looking at it, despite being unable to see.

His bluntness had discomforted her, but as she was watching him she understood. His silence made her just as eager, just as anxious, to get it over with. “What about Windclan?”

“Gorsestorm, Splashpaw, and Driftwillow’s kits. I don’t think Daisystar is going to make it either.”

It was Blackpaw’s turn to be silent and look off at the lake. She felt as though her whole life was changing— she had just seen Windclan, strong and healthy, just a few moons ago. Wasn’t it just the other night that she was gossiping and catching up with Splashpaw at the Gathering? Wasn’t it just the other night that the clans had Gatherings at all?

The leaders were so afraid of the sickness that they had decided to cancel the Gatherings until it passed. She wondered if the other three clans were doing just as badly— if they were suffering just as much as Thunderclan and Windclan. In a strange, sick way, she hoped they were. She couldn’t bear the thought of her birth clan and her adopted clan being the only ones suffering, while the others were allowed to live.

“Moosebranch was my father.” Beanpaw blurted out suddenly.

Blackpaw turned her head towards him. “Oh, Beanpaw, I’m so sorry…”

“It’s alright,” he sighed, “I mean, the fact that you didn’t already know is telling. The second I stepped over the border of Thunderclan, I wasn’t his son anymore. He never said it, but I could feel it.”

Blackpaw sat a little closer to him, so he could feel her presence. “He never spoke badly of you, if that means anything.”

“He never spoke to me at the Gatherings. Never asked my mentor how I was doing. Never acknowledged my presence. Him acting like I don’t exist hurts worse than him saying bad things about me.” Beanpaw licked his chest, seeming embarrassed for opening up so suddenly. “But it doesn’t matter now,” he added quickly, “he’s dead. There’s nothing that can be done.”

Though she understood his pain, Blackpaw had no idea how to comfort him. “It still sucks, though,” she said.

“Yeah. How’s Boarpaw taking it?”

“He’s trying to tough it out, but I think he’s really upset. I heard Goldenstar is thinking about making him a warrior a little early, so they don’t have to worry about another warrior training him.”

“With leaf-bare and this disease working against us, our clans are going to need all the warriors they can get.” Beanpaw muttered darkly.

Blackpaw nodded. Then, after a moment of hesitating, she asked, “Things are going to get worse before they get better, aren’t they?”

“I think so.”

“Be safe, Beanpaw.”

“You too, Blackpaw.”

Without another word, they turned away from each other and began to head back to their respective camps. Though she appreciated their meetings— the updates, the solidarity she and Beanpaw had— Blackpaw’s heart was heavy at the news. Who else was going to be among the dead by their next meeting?

_ If we’re both still alive by then.  _ She thought with a shiver.


	7. Snoutkit: 5 Moons After Exposure

**Leaf-bare: Riverclan**

Toadleap shifted on his paws, his brow furrowed as he tried to concentrate on the task before him.

“Barracudapaw, get me some goldenrod.”

“Goldenrod?” the silver she-cat wrinkled her nose at her mentor in skepticism. “I don’t think that’s what Flaxspots need right now. Wouldn’t she do better with—”

“Just get me what I need!” he snapped at her, making her scurry off without protest. After a half second of extra thought, he knew his apprentice was right; goldenrod wasn’t what Flaxspots needed. He didn’t usually make mistakes like that.

He brushed the interaction aside without further thought— there were much more pressing matters to deal with.

Flaxspots was breathing heavily all of a sudden, alarming Toadleap.

“Kitting pain or the sickness?” he asked.

“I—” the queen was struggling to speak, as if she was overwhelmed. “Sickness. Both. I don’t know.”

“Okay,” he reassured her, “It’s going to be okay.”

Toadleap was not known for his bedside manner— but this new, strange illness that quickly took hold of the clans had awoken a softer side of him. He ran his tail over her spine, trying to conjure up a purr in his throat so that he could soothe her as she vomited. He worried about her kits— would they be born sick as well?

_ If they’re even alive _ , he thought. The illness was making even the strongest of warriors drop dead— kits wouldn’t stand a chance.

It was as if the queen had read his mind. “What about my kits?”

“You’re doing fine,” he reassured, “They’re going to be okay.”

“I can’t let them get sick,” she whimpered.

Barracudapaw raced back into the den with a mouthful of herbs. “Here, Flaxspots,” she dropped them in front of the she-cat’s nose, “take these, they’ll help you feel better.”

Flaxspots sniffed them, but turned her head away. “I can’t.”

“You need to eat them,” Toadleap urged, “You won’t get better if you don’t eat them.”

Another wave of vomiting hit her. When it passed, she replied, “I’m not going to get better, Toadleap.”

“You are.” He lied.

“I’m not.”

Toadleap turned to his apprentice. “The vomiting is making her dehydrated. She needs water and something to soothe her belly so she can take the herbs without throwing them up again.”

Barracudapaw nodded and raced out of the den without protest— normally she gave Toadleap constant attitude, but the fear and stress of seeing Flaxspots so sick while kitting was enough to get her out of the way as much as possible.

“Toadleap,” Flaxspots murmured, “You have to keep the kits away from me so they don’t get sick.”

She was right, of course— though the illness had spread through the clans fast, the medicine cats noticed that quarantine helped keep some warriors from getting it. “I will,” he promised, “and then you’ll get to have them back as soon as you’re better.”

The she-cat was shivering now. Chills, despite the fever that was burning her up. Toadleap inched closer to her so that he could make her feel warmer. The cats like her— the ones that got this sick— never made it. He prayed to Starclan that she would, but his promises and reassurance that she would be okay felt hollow.

Another cat, Oakshine, poked his head into the den. Upon seeing the vomit and the trembling queen, his eyes widened. He looked at Toadleap, and although they did not speak they seemed to have an understanding.

“I think I need to get Pineswallow.” Oakshine said.

“I think you’re correct.” Toadleap whispered.

Oakshine left to find Pineswallow, Flaxspots’s mate, not knowing realizing that Flaxspots and all but one of the kits would be dead before they returned.

—--

The kit was strong and seemed healthy, but her face was… Strange.

“She’s got a hole in her muzzle,” Barracudapaw said. She turned to her mentor, looking to see what he would do next.

Toadleap brushed off the fog that was settling into his mind and tried to peer closer at the kit’s snout. There was, indeed, a hole— almost as if a big thorn cut her upper lip and nose, though there was no blood and the skin was a healthy pink.

“She died for  _ this _ .”

The medicine cats turned to look at Pineswallow. His voice was hollow, and he stared at his only surviving kit with a bitterness that Toadleap had never seen in a cat before.

He continued to speak, though it didn’t seem as though he was speaking to any cat in particular. “We traded a strong warrior for a broken kit.”

Oakshine grimaced. “Pineswallow, I—”

“Look at it!” he cried, “It couldn’t even be born with a proper snout! How’s it going to suckle, or hunt, or do anything properly?” He whipped his head towards Toadleap. “How could you save it but not Flaxspots? Why would Starclan curse us like this!”

Normally Toadleap would’ve given the tom a cuff of the ears for saying such a thing— not only for his disrespect towards him, but to an innocent kit as well— but he knew that Pineswallow’s loss on top of the loss of so many of his clanmates had left him desperate and hurting.

Instead of responding, Toadleap turned to Oakshine. “We need to find a she-cat that can nurse the kit. There’s a Windclan queen that should be kitting soon— go ask Creekstar to send a patrol to their camp.”

Oakshine dipped his head and rushed out of the den.

Barracudapaw asked her mentor quietly, "What should we do about her face?"

Trying to brush off Pineswallow's harsh words, he said, "I'm not sure if there's anything we can do. There's no injury to heal, it's just— that's how she was born."

Pineswallow turned and left the den in a huff.

The medicine cats were silent for a few moments, observing the mewling kit.

"What if it is a curse?" Barracudapaw finally asked.

"What?"

"The kit. Her face, it's… weird. You haven't seen anything like this before, have you?"

"No."

"Well, first we have a disease so bad that it kills even super healthy warriors, and now the only kit born when everything is falling apart is this one… Pineswallow's right, it probably won't be able to nurse, or maybe even breathe— look at how the hole messes up her nose."

"We'll find a way to get her to nurse." Toadleap told her firmly. “And she’s breathing just fine. She’s got a strong spirit, as long as she doesn’t get ill I think she’ll be just fine.”

Barracudapaw’s next response shocked her mentor. “What if she’s a burden on the clan, though?”

“Don’t say such things!” he snapped.

“I’m training to be a medicine cat, aren’t I?” she retorted, “So that means I’m also supposed to interpret signs from Starclan. And I think this is one of them!”

“Just because you’re training to be a medicine cat doesn’t mean you can see signs wherever you please!” Toadleap hissed, “Go check on the cats in the sick den, I’m done talking about this.”

Barracudapaw stomped out of the den, and Toadleap couldn’t help but give out a growl of frustration. He hoped that his apprentice and Pineswallow weren’t right.


	8. Beanpaw: Leafbare

**Leaf-bare: Windclan**

Beanpaw knew there was something going on as soon as the patrol walked into camp. They sounded different— rushed.

“Elmstar!” Weaselleap, the new deputy, called out, “We found Riverclan cats saying they need to speak to you.”

Elmstar trotted up to meet them. Beanpaw could smell the small Riverclan patrol— only two or three cats.

“You’d better have a good reason for being here,” Elmstar told them evenly.

A few moons ago, the clans had decided to stop any movement between clans unless absolutely necessary, in order to keep the sickness from spreading. They hadn’t had a Gathering since— even the medicine cats reluctantly decided to stop their half-moon visits to the Moonpool, and only went when they were in serious need of guidance.

Beanpaw and Blackpaw had decided to stop their secret meetings as well, in order to focus more of their attention on their adopted clans and avoid bringing any sickness to each other. He hadn’t seen her in a while. Although he tried not to think about her, the Riverclan patrol was a reminder that she and the rest of Thunderclan were out there, just as sick and probably suffering just as much. He hoped that she was still alive.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion, Elmstar,” one of the Riverclan warriors apologized, “but we’ve come to ask for your assistance.”

“We haven’t got any herbs to spare, Oakshine,” Elmstar was trying not to snap at him, but Beanpaw could hear the impatience growing in her voice.

“We aren’t asking for herbs,” Oakshine told her. There was a pause, as if he felt nervous speaking about Riverclan business in front of all of Windclan. Beanpaw could hear the rustling of cats coming out of their dens to see what the ruckus was.

“Well, then?”

Oakshine spoke more quietly, though Beanpaw had no trouble hearing from the entrance of the apprentice’s den. “We just lost our only queen. She had one kit in her litter survive, a little she-cat. And, well, Toadleap said that you had a queen… Last he heard, at least.”

Beanpaw was worried that Elmstar would turn them away, but her voice became soft. “Yes, Sheepflurry is still with us. Her kits are not, but she only lost them a few days ago… She might still have milk.”

“If you could convince her to, we would be extremely grateful,” Oakshine replied, relief flooding into his voice.

A soft voice was suddenly in Beanpaw’s ear, making him jump. “What do you think?”

It was Sheepflurry. He had been tasked with getting her whatever she needed since she lost her kits. She had been depressed about their passing, but she still seemed to be keeping it together, and had started to form a bond with the apprentice— she never seemed very bothered that he wasn’t born in Windclan. He liked her. She was strong.

“I think you should do it,” he said carefully, “No sense in letting an innocent kit starve when it doesn’t have to.”

“Yes, I think so too.” She brushed past Beanpaw and spoke louder, “No need to convince me. I’ll do it. There’s been enough death lately.”

“Thank you,” Oakshine said with a sign of relief, “You have no idea how much that means to us.”

The Riverclan explained the situation in more depth with Sheepflurry and they left camp not long after, departing for Riverclan.

Beanpaw wondered if it was scary or upsetting for Sheepflurry— she was going to a strange clan, after all. Changing clans was the scariest thing Beanpaw ever had to go through, before the sickness started. And now that the sickness was all throughout the clans, he figured it must be even scarier. He shivered a little, hoping that she wouldn’t become ill during her time in Riverclan. Though he tried to appear strong for his clan, he didn’t think his heart could take another loss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone that's read this far! Comments mean a lot to me, so if you're enjoying it or have some constructive criticism I'd love to hear it!


	9. Post-Epidemic Allegiances

**_Thunderclan_ **

**Leader:** Goldenstar: yellow tabby tom with brown eyes

**Deputy:** Wolfdawn: white and grey tom

**Medicine cat:** Rockspots: grey speckled tom

**Warriors:**

Batclaw: black tom with green eyes

Marigoldfire: orange she-cat with green eyes

Pigeonpelt: grey tom with brown eyes

Hazelbreeze: light brown she-cat with brown eyes

Dogsong: brown and white tabby tom with green eyes

Boartooth: dark brown tom with a snaggletooth

Blackburrow: black and white she-cat with floppy ears and short, deformed limbs

**Queens & kits:**

Magpiebreeze: black and white she-cat (kits: Speckkit, Seedkit)

**Elders:**

Snailpuddle: light brown tom

**_Shadowclan_ **

**Leader:** Rapidstar: cream-colored she-cat with bright blue eyes

**Deputy:** Featherswirl: light grey tabby tom

**Medicine cat:** Applestream: dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Shiverbelly: grey striped tom who has been wobbly since birth

**Warriors:**

Owlnose: white and light brown she-cat with amber eyes

Mistyhoof: grey striped tom with golden eyes

Oceanspark: red tabby tom with green eyes

Molethorn: dark brown tom

Nettletalon: tortoiseshell she-cat

**Queens & kits:**

Plumdust: light gray she-cat (kits: Hailkit)

**Elders:**

Hayspeck: light yellow tom

**_Skyclan_ **

**Leader:** Icestar: silver tabby tom with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Duckpatch: brown and white tabby tom

**Medicine cat:** Newtsplash: tortoiseshell tom

**Warriors:**

Stagflight: light brown tom

Littlevine: calico she-cat

Specklespiral: red speckled she-cat

Spruceblossom: light brown tabby she-cat

Antfrost: dark brown tabby tom

Spiderpond: black tom

**Apprentices:**

Lobsterpaw: cream tom with dark brown face and paws. Is missing toes on front paws.

**Queens:**

Clovershade: grey and black she-cat

**Elders:**

Flintshine: grey she-cat

**_Windclan_ **

**Leader:** Elmstar: brown and white she-cat

**Deputy:** Weaselleap: brown tom

**Medicine cat:** Moonfang: grey and white she-cat

**Warriors:**

Doveswoop: grey she-cat

Rabbitflank: brown and white tom

Sheepflurry: grey and white she-cat

Beetlestem: black tom with green eyes

Buzzardstorm: black tom with amber eyes

Eelsting: grey and orange-mottled she-cat

Beanspring: brown tabby tom. Born without eyes.

**Queens & Kits:**

Quailjaw: white and brown tabby she-cat

**Elders:**

Shrewburr: light brown tom

**_Riverclan_ **

**Leader:** Creekstar: small, light brown tom

**Deputy:** Willowstep: grey tabby she-cat

**Medicine cat:** Toadleap: dark brown tom; is becoming very forgetful

Barracudaberry: silver tabby she-cat

**Warriors:**

Oakshine: light brown tabby tom

Pineswallow: dark brown tabby tom

Beavereye: dark brown tom

Ferretwind: white tom with light brown patches

Juniperstrike: grey she-cat

Rubblesong: grey and white spotted tom

Snoutblossom: calico she-cat with a cleft lip

**Queens & Kits:**

Maplebelly: calico she-cat (kits: Poppykit, Marshkit, and Sootkit) 

**Elders:**

Beartail: black tom with a stump tail


	10. Lobsterpaw

**Leaf-fall: Skyclan**

“Lobsterkit, will you stop fidgeting?” Clovershade sighed, “Your fur is a mess.”

A rough tongue scraped Lobsterkit’s ears, making him wince, but he couldn’t keep himself still.

“I gotta practice sitting properly,” he told her. “so my paws look okay.”

“Nobody is going to care about how you sit,” she told him sternly, “And if you move around like this at your apprentice ceremony they’ll be even more noticable. Besides, it’s not like they’re secret.”

Lobsterkit lifted up one paw and examined it. It looked big and clunky like the claw of a lobster—his namesake. His other front paw looked the same as well. It was as if his toes had melted together, warping his claws and his paw pads into strange shapes that looked nothing like the feet of his clanmates.

“Still don’t like it,” he muttered, putting the foot back down so he wouldn’t have to look at it anymore.

“Well they’re not going anywhere” Clovershade warned him, “So you need to get used to them.”

Lobsterkit held back a grumble. What did his mother know? She was a perfectly normal cat! So was every other cat in the clan— nobody but him knew what it was like to look so strange! He dreaded running into another clan for the first time, while out on a border patrol or hunting, or at the Gathering. What if they all made fun of him? He could never be a good warrior for his clan if his enemies laughed at him on the battlefield!

Icestar’s commanding yowl filled the camp: “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a clan meeting!”

His stomach churning with anxiety, Lobsterkit scrambled out of the nursery. This was it! He wasn’t going to be a little kit anymore!

The clan was murmuring with excitement, watching Lobsterkit warmly as he made his way towards the center of camp. Though he was sometimes treated differently by his clanmates due to his strange appearance— strange looks and flinches whenever he tried to bat at their tails— they were still supportive of him and most looked proud to see him about to have an apprentice ceremony. He was the clan’s only kit, after all.

Icestar’s sharp eyes seemed to bore holes into Lobsterkit’s pelt. “Today is a very special day,” he announced. Though his eyes were cold, his voice was warmed with a purr. “For the first time in a very long time, we have an apprentice’s ceremony to conduct. Lobsterkit?”

Trembling ever so slightly, Lobsterkit trotted forward so that he was closer to Icestar. He sat down and wrapped his tail around his paws, hoping that it covered them properly.

“From this moment on, you will be known as Lobsterpaw.” Icestar turned towards the crowd. “Littlevine?”

Lobsterpaw turned to watch Littlevine, a small calico she-cat, trot forward to stand beside him. She looked as nervous and excited as he felt.

“You’re a good warrior,” Icestar told her, “who excels at your duties despite the challenges that your size gives you. I hope that you will give Lobsterpaw the same drive to overcome his own challenges as he trains to be a warrior.”

Littlevine dipped her head, and turned to Lobsterpaw. They touched noses and the clan began to shout his name.

“I’m so excited to train you,” Littlevine said to him quietly, as though it was a secret.

“I’m excited too,” he replied just as quietly. Although he was indeed excited, his anxiety still lingered at the back of his mind.

 _Her being small has nothing to do with me having bad feet,_ Lobsterpaw couldn’t help but think, _What if she can’t train me properly? What if I won’t get to be a warrior?_


	11. Lobsterpaw: Gathering

**Leaf-fall: Skyclan**

The full moon rose in the sky, and the sight of it made Lobsterpaw’s stomach queasy. He thought about telling Littlevine and Icestar that he didn’t want to go to the Gathering— surely every cat there would laugh at him! He had gone through enough embarrassment by all the mistakes he was making during training, not to mention all the times he had to stop early because his paws were aching. There was no way the other clans would respect him as a warrior apprentice!

But he also knew that Skyclan was eager to show off their new apprentice, their first one since the big sickness had ravaged the entire lake. He was their big step in showing the other clans that they were finally starting to recover, even if he was deformed.

Lobsterpaw had never been near the Gathering place before, since it was all the way across the lake. The full moon’s light poured onto the island, making the trees look like they were glowing. He watched his clanmates trot across an old, fallen log— a log that must have fallen many, many lifetimes ago, based on how worn it was— and his stomach churned with anxiety. Though his claws helped to stabilize him, his deformed feet made it significantly harder for him to climb or grip onto surfaces.

_I bet Icestar will really want to show me off after all the other clans see I can’t even walk across a log properly!_

It was if his mentor was reading his mind. “The log isn’t very slippery, and there are plenty of places where it’s chipped that should be easy for you to grip if you need to. Just take your time, okay?”

Lobsterpaw nodded, grateful that she was thinking about him but also annoyed that she assumed he was worried about it.

 _It’s just a log,_ he told himself, trying to muster up confidence.

Once it was his turn, he carefully hopped up onto the wood. Although much of it was smooth from countless moons of use, there were many cracks that provided enough texture for Lobsterpaw to grip onto as he walked across. He jumped down onto the island, a little embarrassed that he had been getting worked up about it when it had ended up being relatively easy.

“You should go socialize,” Littlevine told him as she got off the log, “These cats may be from different clans, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make friends!”

Lobsterpaw looked at the clearing. He knew at one point in time, before he was born, there were nearly twice as many cats around the lake as there were now— he tried to picture what it must have been like, to have twice as many cats squeezed into the space. A small part of him somehow doubted that many cats could even exist all at once.

Hesitantly, he walked into the clearing more, watching somewhat helplessly as his mentor and other clanmates began to find other clan cats to socialize with. Unfortunately, he was watching his clanmates a little too hard, and it cause him to walk directly into a cat’s back.

“Oof!” he grunted from the impact, and then scrambled back. “I’m so sorry!”

The cat— a cream she-cat with orange and brown splotches— turned to face him. Lobsterpaw realized with slight horror that she had a large hole on her face, near where her mouth met her nose. He could see her front teeth through the hole.

“S’alright!” the cat replied with a purr, “I thought you were Shiverpaw for a second there!”

“Uhh,” Lobsterpaw said, struggling for words. He tried to force his eyes downwards, knowing from experience that he shouldn’t be staring, but they sprung back up to the she-cat’s face.

 _She’s weird, just like me…_ He thought. The need to befriend her blossomed in his chest.

“My name’s Snoutblossom, I’m a Riverclan warrior,” she introduced cheerfully. Her voice sounded a little strange, as though she couldn’t form words properly, “You must be a new apprentice!”

“I’m, uh, Lobsterpaw,” he introduced in return, trying to regain his composure “I’m from Skyclan.”

“Nice to meet you, Lobsterpaw!” The she-cat must have glanced down, because she suddenly gestured towards his feet. “I’ve never seen paws shaped like that before!”

“Yeah, well I’ve never seen a mouth shaped like yours before,” he retorted impulsively. It was meant as a joke, but as the words were leaving his mouth he realized that they could come across as insulting. “Oh no,” he blurted, “I’m sorry, I—”

But Snoutblossom started laughing. “You got me there! Sorry, I guess I could’ve been a little more sensitive about pointing it out.”

“No, no,” Lobsterpaw replied quickly, “It’s okay. I’m not used to seeing another cat that’s… Different.”

“I understand,” she replied sympathetically, “I’ll have to introduce you to my friends! Hey, now that I think about it—”

Snoutblossom’s thought was cut off when a gray blur bumped into both of them heavily, sending them staggering. Lobsterpaw was concerned that they were being attacked at first, but then he heard Snoutblossom’s laughter and his racing heart slowed.

“Nice entrance, Shiverpaw!” Snoutblossom told the cat.

Once Lobsterpaw had straightened up, he was able to get a better look at the cat. He was a dark grey tabby tom, and he was having a hard time getting to his feet. Snoutblossom made no move to help him steady himself, and so Lobsterpaw also made no move to help him despite his concern that the tom was somehow injured.

“Hi Snoutblossom of Riverclan,” Shiverpaw replied, his tone completely unbothered despite his awkward body. He looked at Lobsterpaw. “I’ve never seen you before.”

“I’m Lobsterpaw of Skyclan,” he introduced awkwardly. “Uh, do you need any help—?”

Shiverpaw plopped onto the ground, as if giving up. “No, thank you. Sorry for bumping into you, Lobsterpaw of Skyclan. My body doesn’t listen to what my mind tells it, unfortunately.”

“He was named Shiver because of how he wobbled,” Snoutblossom explained, “They thought he was cold or something, but it turns out that he’s just like that all the time.”

“Like how I was named Lobster because of my feet.”

Snout nodded. “Yep. And like how I was named Snout for my snout!”

“No subtlety at all,” Shiverpaw chimed in.

Lobsterpaw felt as though a cat was staring at them. He looked around and saw, across the clearing, that a silver she-cat was glaring at the trio, but more particularly at him. They locked eyes, and the she cat seemed to look Lobsterpaw up and down, taking care to keep her gaze at his feet for an extra long time.

Snoutblossom must have noticed what was going on, because she told him. “That’s Barracudaberry. Nastiest medicine cat in all the clans— don’t mind her.” She turned towards Shiverpaw. “Shouldn’t you be over there with her and the other medicine cats?”

Shiverpaw snorted. “Having to go to the Moonpool with her every half-moon is more than enough interaction for me!”

A yowl cut through the clearing, calling for the Gathering to begin. Lobsterpaw looked at all of the leaders, perched in the tree, bathing in the moonlight. They all looked so strong, so confident; though he was happy that he had found other, strange cats to relate to, Lobsterpaw wondered what it would be like to be as perfect and as respected as the clan leaders seemed to be.

Each leader took turns saying what had happened in their clans over the past moon. When Icestar announced Lobsterpaw as an apprentice, and the whole Gathering was chanting his name, he realized that there had been no other announcements of the same type. No new warriors, no new apprentices, no new kits. He once again tried to imagine twice as many cats at the Gathering. Was there a constant stream of new warriors and kits to celebrate over? What was that like?

Then he caught Barracudaberry’s eye once again, still glaring at him and his new friends, and all he could think about was when the Gathering would be over so he could be out of her sight, silently thanking Starclan that she wasn’t his clan’s medicine cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for anyone who's read this far! If you like it, consider leaving a comment!


End file.
